On July 5, 26,000 opera fans gathered at AT&T Park to watch our eighth live simulcast: La Traviata. While tweeting during performances is discouraged in the Opera House, at the Ballpark, anything goes.

Tenor Stephen Costello is currently starring as Greenhorn in our production of Moby-Dick on the War Memorial stage. Earlier this month he answered a few questions for stephencostellotenor.com ahead of opening night. The San Jose Mercury News raves that as Greenhorn, the novice seaman "who evolves into the spitting image of Melville's able Ishmael," Stephen Costello "rapturously" sings his soliloquy.

Introduction

Backstage at San Francisco Opera is a fascinating, fast-moving, mysterious and sacred space for the Company’s singers, musicians, dancers, technicians and production crews. Musical and staging rehearsals are on-going, scenery is loaded in and taken out, lighting cues are set, costumes and wigs are moved around and everything is made ready to receive the audience. From the principal singers, chorus and orchestra musicians to the creative teams for each opera, in addition to the many talented folks who don’t take a bow on stage, this blog offers unique insight, both thought-provoking and light-hearted, into the life backstage at San Francisco Opera.